


War Machine

by Fighting_for_Creativity



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Iron Man 2, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, M/M, Other, Rhodey POV, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony gets a hug, can be read as ship, soft, soft bois
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:28:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26700670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fighting_for_Creativity/pseuds/Fighting_for_Creativity
Summary: The whole 'acquiring a suit by any means' situation sucked big time. Good thing Rhodey knew where his loyalties ultimately lay. Also, pretending to steal something from Tony at least meant that Rhodey could spend some time with him beforehand.
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark
Comments: 6
Kudos: 42
Collections: Ironhusbands Bingo 2020, Tony Stark Flash Bingo





	War Machine

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to use my time at the barbershop today. This is the result.
> 
> Enjoy some soft boys.
> 
> (also, Jay and Peach, thanks for the prompts: Chocolate, Soft, and Wonder❤❤💞❤❤)

It was some time after Tony's birthday party. James Rhodes had flown off with one of the armours, just as he and Tony had agreed would happen.

Yes, they had fought.

And sure, it was pure chaos, and the news had once more slated Tony's recklessness. 

But no one had realized that he and Tones had staged the whole thing. Rhodes had known, just as his dumbass best friend Tony had, that the senate and the military wouldn't stop until they had the Iron Man armour. 

On one of the encrypted channels Tony loved to make for them, Rhodes had passed classified information to the genius. The colonel was aware that those actions could be considered treason. Often he felt conflicted between his duty to his country and his loyalty to his soulmate. Because Tony _was_ the other half of Jim, no matter what anyone else thought or seemed to see.

After he’d got his hands on the mission briefing titled ‘acquiring the suit’ and had read the words ‘seize by any means necessary’, it had been easy to decide which side he was going to take.

Tony had been furious and cursed in a way that would have made even a seasoned sailor blush. After a few minutes though, all the fight seemed to drain out of him and he had just stared at Rhodes with a too tired look on his face.

That was the first time Rhodes had realized that something else was going on, and he had foolishly shelved it for the moment.

“Honeybear.”

One word. Not even a full sentence, or a real name. But Rhodes knew immediately that Tony needed him. Fighting the urge to run to his car and break every speed limit to get to Tony, he did what he did best.

“Put on my hoodie, and dim the lights, Tones. I'm making a call to get leave. Be there as soon as I can.” 

As he cut their connection, Rhodes had just hoped that the softness of his hoodie would tie over his genius for the time being.

~

Getting leave had been harder than Rhodes had predicted. He hadn't wanted to tell them why he needed it so urgently. Only after he had gritted out that he was going to be in Malibu did the brass let him leave.

His CO had even had the nerve to send him off with, “Good thinking, Colonel. Enjoy your time with Stark.”

Clearly, the old man had expected Rhodes to wear Tony down. Even thinking about that made Jim nauseous. ‘ _As if I would ever betray my Tones like that.’_

Half a day and probably a few thousand dollar bribes later [which he would have had to ask Jarvis about if he ever wanted to know for certain who and why and exactly how much it had cost for the AI to get him there], Rhodes had found himself in the lounge of the Malibu home. 

Walking down to the workshop, Rhodes had expected to find Tony listening to AC/DC and hammering away on one project or another.

What he didn't expect was his best friend clutching his chest and fiddling with what looked like the core of the arc reactor.

Jim didn't know how, but he had found himself right by Tony's side and had helped him change the burned-out core for a new one. The colonel had seen Tony flinch, heard his low whine and known nothing was fine.

But he hadn’t asked. Tony had never liked Rhodes’s questioning, often deflecting or simply ignoring him for it. Jim couldn't risk his precious time with Tones being wasted.

He had helped his genius out of the chair, guiding him upstairs into the kitchen area.

Tony had been uncharacteristically quiet.

Jim had puttered around the kitchen, opening drawers, and setting a pot on the stove. 

“Dark or white, Tones?”

“Dark.”

‘ _Ah, so it's a case of being emotionally drained and suffering from haunting thoughts._ ’ Jim had kept the observation to himself. Carefully, he had broken the chocolate bar into tiny pieces and melted it in the pot. Sniffing at the milk and declaring it still good, he had added a good measure of it to the melted dark mass. He’d added some spices and poured the hot chocolate into two mugs, letting the leftover simmer.

Jim noted that Tony's hands had immediately clutched the mug. The military man had barely won the battle against sighing out loud. Instead, he had hunted down the softest blanket and guided Tony and himself towards the fireplace. Somehow, Tony managed to not spill one drop as he let himself slump on the rug. 

A bit after they had settled down, Jim's back against the ottoman, mug in his left hand, Tony's head on his right shoulder and a blanket on their laps, Tony had begun to talk.

“I just don't know anymore, Honeybear. I know they want the suit. But they can't have it.”

Tony's voice was low, broken even. Jim had pressed closer, but stayed silent and sipped his drink.

“I don't trust them with it. You've seen what Hammer did trying to recreate it. What could other people do? Competent people? I don't want the suit to cause destruction. Jim. I- I just…”

The genius had trailed off and Rhodes had put away his empty mug. A few minutes had passed before Jim cradled Tony's face, making the younger man look him in the eyes. “But you trust me.”

It had never been a question, never doubted by either man and so Tony had just nodded.

“I'm military and I know that you're the smartest guy around. I trust you to figure this out. You can build about anything, Tony. If it's not there yet, if the solution to the problem seems impossible with what we've got, you always made it possible. I trust you, Tones. And I'm here to help you along the ride.”

If anyone had asked Jim to describe the look on Tony's face, he would’ve gone with wonder.

  
  


And so he’d braced himself and placed the tiniest peck on Tony's cheek. Letting that affection settle between them however Tony had needed it.

That night had passed with them cuddled close in front of the fireplace, surrounded by the softest blanket and sipping every last drop of hot chocolate.

~

Tomorrow came, and Jim had had the inane thought that he must have looked utterly dumb. What he had known for sure was the wonder coursing through his veins when Tony had presented him with the suit he’d called: “War Machine. A genetically locked suit that only you and I can get inside.”

It might have only been an idea, a holographic projection, but it was the root of their crazy staged theft plan.

**Author's Note:**

>  ** _TSB:_**  
>  Title: War Machine  
> Collaborators: Fighting_for_Creativity  
> Card Number: 023  
> Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26700670  
> Square: War Machine  
> Ship: (loosely) James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark  
> Rating: Teen and Above  
> Tags: Soft, Hurt/Comfort, Rhodey POV, Tony needs a hug and gets one  
> Warning: none (?)  
> Summary: The whole 'acquiring a suit by any means' situation sucked big time. Good thing Rhodey knew where his loyalties ultimately lay. Also, pretending to steal something from Tony at least meant that Rhodey could spend some time with him beforehand.  
> Word Count: 1131
> 
>  _IHB_  
>  Title: War Machine  
> Author: fightingforcreativity  
> Square Filled: G1 Consequences  
> Card Number: MK2023  
> Rating: Teen and Above  
> Pairing(s): IronHusband  
> Warnings/Triggers: Soft Bois being Soft  
> Summary: The whole 'acquiring a suit by any means' situation sucked big time. Good thing Rhodey knew where his loyalties ultimately lay. Also, pretending to steal something from Tony at least meant that Rhodey could spend some time with him beforehand.


End file.
